Games of Chance

Description

Games of chance are those in which events are not fully deterministic. This
means a skilled player using a sound strategy may still lose.

A game of pure chance has no skill at all and any player has an equal
likelihood of winning or losing. A game of zero chance is a pure
game of skill. Many games have a balance of both
chance and skill.

Forms of chance include:

Where the player has apparent control but where events are still random, such as
the roll of a die or the turn of card.

External forces that affect results, such as how the wind affects the
flight of a ball.

Random events within the game of which the player can take advantage
based on their skill, belongings, etc.

Events based on the skill of others, such as horse racing or football
matches.

Mistakes or other actions made by competitors may give the player a
lucky advantage (or unfortunate disadvantage).

Example

Casino games using dice have a high level of chance, but as
the player throws the dice they often think they have some degree of control.

In games where the player collects items, such as Monopoly,
they can be lucky or not as items they need turn up.

Chess players can get lucky when their opponents make a
silly move or miss a mistaken move.

Discussion

We have a basic need to
control the world around us and many games of chance are designed to give
the illusion that players are able to somehow know random probabilities or
control random events. This is a part of the
Gambler's Fallacy
and is something that game designers can deliberately encourage. The
Hot Hand Phenomenon, where players think they are in 'winning streak' is
another issue gamblers face.

Overall, people are largely poor at estimating probabilities and statistics,
leading to many
decision errors. Even statisticians can be taken in by some of these,
especially when they have good face
validity.

Chance leads to another basic need:
arousal. As we hope for
good luck our senses are heightened and we become excited when we think we may
win. This is a key reason why we play many games and is particularly
characteristic of gambling.

Games of chance often gain a certain mystique, with legends building up
around them of ways to win and people who managed to beat the odds. This serves
to encourage certain gamblers but bending of random chance has yet to be
scientifically proven.

Of course we cannot change what is inherently random and there really is no
such thing as luck. We talk about 'bad luck' to console ourselves when things do
not turn out well for us, whether it is due to chance or lack of skill. We also
tend to think other people are lucky when they succeed, even if it is due to
their skill.